Peer Pressure

Peer pressure refers to the pressure people feel to conform to the prevailing behaviors in their peer groups. The related concept of peer influence is used to describe situations in which a person does something he or she would not normally do in an effort to impress or gain the acceptance of peers or friends. While adults also experience peer pressure, these terms are most often used in reference to social interactions among children and adolescents. In theory, individuals are always free to refuse or resist peer pressure. However, in practice, this choice can be difficult to follow through with, particularly among young people who place a very high value on social acceptance. In other cases, a child or adolescent...